


Polaroid

by Flammenkobold



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 10:50:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13785918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flammenkobold/pseuds/Flammenkobold
Summary: "If I showed you a picture of the real Sasha now, you’d have no idea who it was." Elias said and Melanie wants to know if that is true for her too.





	Polaroid

When the dust has settled somewhat after Jonathan was dragged back into the Institute by Daisy and Basira, Melanie sneaks her way up to Elias’ office. She doesn’t think the others are interested much in what she is doing, but she’d rather not risk getting ask regardless.

Her knuckles barely touch the door when Elias already tells her to come in. “What can I do for you, Melanie?” he asks her, barely looking up from whatever form he is filling.

“You said if you handed us a photo of Sasha we wouldn’t recognize her,” she answers directly, because she figures it doesn’t much matter. If her boss is a murderer and wants to see her dead, then being nice probably won’t change it much. “So- do you have one?”

“I did not know you were particularly close,” Elias says and finally looks up at her. His eyes are piercing and she feels as if he already knows the answer.

“We weren’t, I just- personal curiosity,” she rescues herself into.

Elias hums. “Of course.”

It isn’t, but everything is awkward already, so how could she put into words what drives her? She doesn’t even particular want to, especially when it comes to Elias.

“So…?”

He watches her for a moment, his eyes unsettling still and bright. He finally nods, as if he is satisfied with what he sees. It makes a cold shiver run down Melanie’s spine. 

Elias puts down his pen and starts rummaging in one of his desk drawers, finally pulling out a polaroid. “Here you go,” he tells her and holds it out to her. She tries to put confidence and purpose into her steps as she walks over, but can’t quite shake the feeling as if she is approaching a sleeping tiger. 

“Thanks.” She takes the polaroid by the edge, but Elias doesn’t let go immediately.

“Just be careful what you are doing with it,” he tells her and manages to make it sound like a warning and as if he is talking about the weather at the same time.

She meets his eyes briefly. “I will?” He finally lets go and she practically flees his office.

Once she feels far enough away, once she finds a quiet corner in the Archives, she allows herself to look at the photo. It must be a few years old, some office event or the other, and there are several people on it, but there at the corner of the photo is a woman that looks familiar to Melanie. She doesn’t quite remember Sasha’s face, not from back when she first met her here. 

But she recognises the face still. It’s the same one that haunts her dreams and nightmares.


End file.
